Vertical-axis canister-type vacuum cleaner



Dec.' 8, 1942. w. LEATHERs 2,304,309I

VERTICAL-Ams CANIsTER-TYPE VACUUM CLEANER Filed oct. 17, 1959 Tal.

Patented Dec. 1942 VERTICAL-AXIS CANIBTEB-TYPE VACUUM CLEANER WardLeathers, Brooklyn, N. Y., signor to Quadrex Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 17, 1939, Serial No.299,819 v 4Claims.

.several types. of `filter-shaking devices. In the present invention,however, I prefer to use the handle on the side of the cleaner (as inapplication Serial No. 209,909, Figure which is joined to 'a bow on theinside of the cleaner whichln turn is held to a filter-ring by means oftrun'nions The bottom side ofthe filter, that exposed to thedirt-laden-air, is free from all obstructions or means of support(excepting only the outside rim).v

An object of my, invention is to reduce weight and bulk of the'machineby disposing the motor:

' l,suction-unit within the inner portion of the filter and a largediameter single stage fan immediately above the filter.

I have hereinafter set forth my invention so those familiar with thesearts may understand it, and have appended a drawing, of which:

Figure 1 is a partial cross-section and partially broken-awayelevational view of my cleaner.

Figure 2 is a partially broken-away and par- `.iallyv cross-sectionedhorizontal view of my cleaner taken at the dotted line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure `3 is a cross-sectional detail taken at the dotted line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section of a detail showing the yieldable meansfor holding the filter upward in position taken at the dotted line 4--4of Figure 2.`

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic,cross-section of my vcleaner illustrating itslooseness when moved -to one of its cleaning positions.

A main shell I is disposed immediately above a dirt-receptacle 2 whichhas a connection 3 for the cleaning hose. Within the main shell I is myfiltering mechanism l'and motor-suctionunit 5. Above the shell I is ahousing 6 which supports a bail-handle l. A filter shaker handle ldisposed on the side of the main shell I is held by a horizontal hinge 9to an internal bow Il. The bow is trunnioned to a ring II,

bothof which are preferably made of clockspring-strip. 'I'he filter,which is generally characterized by the numeral I, consists of foursections, as follows: a truncated conical section I2 which is joinedbetween the base of the shell I and the ring II; an inverted truncatedcone I3 joined between the ring II and a similar but smaller ring Il,valso preferably made of clockspring-strip, at the bottom of the filter;a truncated conical section IB joined between the latter ring .and asimilar but still smaller ring I6 at the top of the iilter; and finallyan inverted conical center section II the apex of which is coaxial withthe machine and held downward by a support I8 projecting downward fromthe motor-suction-unit 5. filter structure differs essentially from thatof my co'pending patent application, Serial No. 209,909, is that themiddle sections of the filter I2 and I5, which substantially double thefiltering capacityof the filter without materially increasing itover-al1 diameter or height, .are held in a highly flexible and easilyshakable mannerA by novel means consisting .ofstrips of clockspringjoined between the rings II and Il, held to -them in suitable manner.Strips of.clock spring I0 extending downward between ring Il.,i

and ring I6 and rigidly joinedto the ring Il hold the ring Il in place.Highly yieldable means,

such as springs 25, hold the entire filter structure,

including the bow, upward innormal position, the springs being joined tothe fan case 25. The

filter is heldv in-place by the outer rim attachnient of the filter tothe shell I, the ring Il and the center apex .of the inner cone I1 helddownward by the center support I8. Preferably the filter fabric is sewnaround the rings II, Il, and I6, in order to make reliable anddust-tight attachment thereto. When the hinged handle l is brought 4"toa horizontal: position rotationstops on the hinge 9 enable the operatorto depress the inner tips of the bow Il against the resistance of thesprings 29 by means of the flex--l ible joint I0 in the wall of thecleaner. This flexible joint may very conveniently consist ofcomparatively thick, soft-rubber washers, normally under compression,one inside and one outside of the shell I. When the handle is so raised.and the bow so depressed, and the handle is moved sidewise for shakingpurposes, the spring strips 40 and I2 joining the rings together or tothe case should be disposed in positions to exercise their highestdegree of spring vitality in the interest of shaking every portion ofthe nlter. In the practical carrying out'of this process it is desirableto provide rubber bumpers 3l, covering the trunnion joints li', Wforcontact with the v The point wherein this inside of the shell i. Whenthe filter-shakerhandie 8 is raised, the bow depressed, and the handleviolently agitated sidewise, the filter violently expels anyy dirt thatclings thereto, causing it to fall into the dirt-receptacle 2.Heretofore, complex filters for use with portable vacuum-cleaners haveprovide to be' holders" of the sticky, clinging, wood-dirt-greasemixture characteristic of household dirt as collected byvacuum-cleaners. The present invention provides a large area filter ofsmall bulk with a free and open under side for gravity dirt release andmeans of loosening the fabric and 4violently shaking all the filterverticallly and sidewise. A wire ring I9 sewn into the center section ofthe lter i1 near the apex helps to hold that portion of the filter fromcollapsing on the suction side.

'I'he means of holding the lower filter ring i4 has as its essentialfeature the supporting of the ring Il on strips of clock-spring whichhold the ring firmly in piace. It is joined at the top in a removablemanner to the case I. I prefer to use four of these strips 40 forsupport of the ring i4. In construction, they are rigidly joined to thering i4 before the ring is sewn into the filter. The upper rings il andi6 may be` joined together in flexible and desired manner by means offour fiat spring bows 42, each of which are joined to spring 25. Whenthe rings i i and I8 are depressed by the bow lll and are shakensidewise by the handle 8 they are interrupted in their lateral movementby the strips 40. I'he agitation from the handle 8 is therebytransmitted to the ring Hand thence to substantially the entire filter.It should be noted that when rings Il and I6 are depressed by the bow I0and the ring I4 is held from the top by the strips 40, all four sectionsof the filter i2, I3, l and il are loosened, which adds greatly to theeffectiveness of their shaking.

I have herein set forth my invention in understandable terms, but I wishto make note that the embodiment illustrated and described, although nowof preferred form, may be varied within. the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a portable, vertical-axis, hose-type vacuum-cleaner, asubstantially round, pan-like dirtreceptacle at the bottom, a co-axialhousing manually removably joined thereabove and thereto, the saidhousing surrounding a co-axial, verticalaxis, filter comprising atruncated cone peripherally joined at its point of greatest diameter tothe lower portion of said housing and at its top to a ring, a second butinverted truncated cone joined between said ring at the top and a secondring at the bottom, a third truncated cone joined to the said secondring at the bottom and to a third ring at the top. the said third ringbeing smaller than the first ring. a fourth cone joined to the saidthird ring and with its apex downward and means of manually shaking thefirst mentioned ring sidewise actuatable exteriorly of the cleaner, andresilient means of transmitting the agitation of the first mentionedmeans from the first ring to the said third ring.

2. In a portable, vertical-axis, hose-type vacuum-cleaner, asubstantially round, pan-like dirtreceptacle at the bottom, aco-axialfhousing manually removably joined thereabove and thereto, thesaid housing surrounding a co-axial, verticalaxis, filter comprising atruncated cone peripherally Joined at its point of greatest diameter tothe lower portion of said housing and at its top to a ring, a second butinverted truncated cone joined between said ring at the top and a secondring at the bottom, a third truncated cone joined to the said secondring at the bottom and to a third ring at the top, the said third ringbeing smaller than the first ring,`a fourth cone joined to the saidthird ring and with its apex downward and means of manually shaking thefirst mentioned ring sidewise actuatable exteriorly of the cleaner, andresilient means of transmitting the agitation of the first mentionedmeans from the firs't ring to the said second and third rings.

3. Same as claim 2, but further characterized by the second mentionedmeans being composed of fiat springs disposed with their flat facesparallel.

4. In a portable, vertical-axis, hose-type vacuum-cleaner, asubstantially round, pan-like dirtreceptacle at the bottom, a co-axialhousing manually removably joined thereabovev and thereto, the saidhousing surrounding a co-axial, verticalaxis, filter comprising atruncated cone peripherally joined at its point of greatest diameter tothe lower portion of said housing and at its top to a ring, a second butinverted truncated cone joined between said ring at the top and a secondring at the bottom, a third truncated cone joined to the said secondring at the bottom and to a third ring at the top, the said third ringbeing smaller than the first ring, a fourth cone joined to the saidthird ring and with its apex downward and the first mentioned ring beingtrunnioned to a bow agitatable sidewise from a handle exteriorly of thecleaner, the second said ring held nonyieldable-vertically by membersextending downward from 4a non-yielding support at the top, and

the third ring yieldably joined to the first ring for purposes ofreleasing tension in filter and of shaking it.v

' WARD LEATHERS.

